Featured on this week’s card is Ian O’Brien, no doubt up to something nefarious in the foreground of this news card. Known to everyone around the forums as Calmdown, Ian has done a great deal to promote ESG, and is among the top players, coming in second at last year’s Fan Fest tournament.

As befits Ian’s play style, Terrorism is a terrific ace in the hole, capable of upsetting the worst standoffs. Its primary use is clear: lure a large enemy force into your seemingly-undefended home region, then sacrifice a single large ship to completely obliterate your opponent’s whole fleet, but the inherent restrictions make the process a bit more complicated. Being restricted to play in your home region, Terrorism requires a significant gambit to be used at its most effective. The application of the shield reduction to all ships in the region only makes the gambit that much riskier.

By deriving X from the lowest value the ship has to offer, this card is further restrained from running roughshod over your opponents, but this restriction is not wholly negative. It favors build decks over rush, allowing a single larger ship to simultaneously wipe out a whole fleet of smaller ships, all while leaving tougher friendly ships unharmed.